Flame arrester safety device



May 9, 1939.

F. G. D. MULLER FLAME ARRESTER SAFETY DEVICE Filed April 18, 1955 racFrans G. D. Muller INVENTOR.

Mww BY M ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT orricsApplication April 18,

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to flame arresters, and more particularly to ameans for creating increased cooling effects in connection with saidarresters when in flame arresting operation.

Among a few of the objects of my invention may be enumerated the desireto construct a relatively easily constructed flame arrester, a readilyfabricated such device, a flame arresting device which normally willtend to confine a flame and which will automatically remove theconfining powers when the flame is to be arrested. Qther objects notspecifically pointed out will be hereinafter mentioned in thespecification.

In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical side elevation of anapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates an enlargedperspective of the same, Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 ofFig. 2, Fig. 4 is a detail joint construction. Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryperspective of one of the elements providing the gas passageways.

Considering the drawing in greater detail, one embodiment of theinvention is shown in Fig. 1 wherein ll indicates a container or tankfor the storage of inflammable materials, I2 is a vent pipe secured tothe tank by a suitable collar or sleeve I3. Mounted at the upper end ofthe vent pipe is a member l4 which may be either a breathing valve orpipe section secured together as at [5. At the outer end of this pipesection is secured the flame arrester 2B which comprises a plurality ofplate members fitted together in such a manner as to provide coolingpassages and gas passages. The cooling passages 2| extend vertically inthe form illustrated and are not in communication with the gas passages22 but are arranged in heat conducting relation with respect thereto.These passages are so arranged that gas vapors may pass in and out, thusequalizing the pressure on the inside and outside of the container ll,whereas cooling air passages up through the pipe 2| maintain the flamearrester in a state of coolness. The gas passages are formed as grooves22 in one face of each of a plurality of plates such as shown in Fig. 5,and are of such dimension that propagation of flames therethrough isprevented. It will be seen that the back of each plate closes the opensides of the grooves in the preceding plates to form the complete gaspassageways. The flame arrester 20 is fastened together by a pluralityof bolt members 30 and 3|.

The front portion of the arrester is partly enclosed by a'coverconstruction 40. This cover member comprises side members 4| and 42which 1935, Serial No. 17,003

are slotted at 43 so that they may be slipped over the bolts 30 whichfasten the flame arrester together, and can thus be fastened in place.The two side members 4| and 42 are connected together by a number ofbars 44, 45, 46. To shield the gas openings 22 against the ingress offoreign materials, cover plate 41 is fastened on the cover structure bymeans of downwardly tapered side walls 48 and crimped end walls 49.

One form of connection for these side walls is shown in Fig. 4 where theside wall 42 is fastened by the bar 45, this bar being provided with anundercut and shouldered end portion 56, the latter being formed over at5| when the parts are assembled. This merely illustrates one simple formof assembly and the bars 45 may be used with or without such aconstruction.

The operation of my device can be readily understood wherein the gasesnormally pass freely out of the flame arrester. If, however, these gasesshould become ignited for some reason or other, the intense heat of theburning gas would tend to heat up the flame arrester and thereby tend toimpair its efficiency. To preclude this, cover 41, being of fusiblematerial for example such as aluminum, aluminum foil, lead foil, etc.,readily fuses when the gas is burning, and as soon as the cover dropsaway the flame is allowed an unobstructed passage upwardly and thearrester is maintained in its normally cool condition.

While I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that modifications coming within the true spirit and scope ofthe same are aimed to be covered in the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety device, a flame arrester having separate cooling passagesand vent passages, and a cover member having side walls arranged to besecured to and form a. continuation of the side walls of the arrester,members interconnecting the side walls of the cover, and a fusible coversecured to said side walls.

2. In a safety device, a flame arrester having separate cooling passagesand vent passages, and a cover member having side walls arranged to besecured to and form a continuation of the side walls of the arrester,members interconnecting the side walls of the cover, and a fusible coversecured to said interconnecting members.

3. A flame arrester comprising a vent pipe, an arrester member inconnection with said pipe having cooling openings free of the ventingopenings and a cover over the venting openings comprising side wallsfastened to the arrester and a fusible top on the side walls.

4. A flame arrester comprising a vent pipe, an arrester member inconnection with said pipe having cooling openings free of the ventingopenings and a cover over the venting openings comprising triangularside walls fastened to the arrester and a fusible top on the side walls.

5. A flame arrester comprising a vent pipe, an arrester member inconnection with said pipe having cooling openings free of the ventingopenings and a cover over the venting openings comprising side wallsfastened to the arrester and a fusible top on the side walls, said sidewalls having means to releasably lock in said arrester member.

6. A flame arrester having lateral vent openings through whichinflammable gases are adapted to be projected laterally outwardly, afusible cover thereabove and at one side adapted to intercept objectsand prevent them from entering said vent openings, said fusible coverbeing so positioned with respect to said vent openings as to permitrelatively free normal operation of the arrester before the cover isfused and a greater freedom of escape of heat from the arrester afterthe cover is fused.

'7. A flame arrester having independent cooling and venting openings,said venting openings being laterally disposed and through whichinflammable gases are adapted to be projected laterally outwardly, afusible cover thereabove and at one side adapted to intercept objectsand prevent them from entering said venting openings, said fusible coverbeing so positioned with respect to said vent openings as to permitrelatively free normal operation of the arrester before the cover isfused and a greater freedom of escape of heat from the arrester afterthe cover is fused, so that the arrester will not become heated to thepoint where it will transmit a flame.

FRANS G. D. MULLER.

